Wouldn't It Be Good
by Azumania
Summary: Chiyo and Sakaki... so similar, yet in worlds apart. Each have what the other most desires, and neither can see the reason why the other wants what they have when they want to get rid of it. But there's nothing a little miracle can't solve.


Hello every-nyaan. I just heard "Wouldn't it be good" by Cascada. I looked up the lyrics and found the ones for Nik Kershaw's original version. When I read them I thought of Chiyo-chan and Sakaki-san.

Inspiration: "Wouldn't it be good" by Nik Kershaw.

Notes:  
I've never done this sort of fanfiction before, so I apologise for its lack of quality.  
I actually have another song that I think fits an Azumanga Daioh character. I may or may not write it, depending on whether I can actually pull it off…  
The 'action' doesn't come until next chapter. This chapter is exploring Chiyo-chan's and Sakaki-san's feelings.  
This fanfiction is set in the second year of Highschool.

Disclaimer: All characters and concepts of Azumanga Daioh belong to Kiyohiko Azuma. The song "Wouldn't it be good" was written and performed by Nik Kershaw.

Please enjoy this fanfiction.

**  
Wouldn't It Be Good**

**Chapter 1: Confessions**

Mihama Chiyo, a child prodigy of sorts, sat up in her bed, reading a novel. She yawned quietly and, after slipping a bookmark on the page, shut the book and placed it on her bedside table. She glanced at the clock; 9:28. She sighed as she set the timer; her habit of falling asleep quickly only reminded her of the way she was alienated at school. Her friends were wonderful and they cared for her, but she just couldn't help but feel like an oddball.

_I got it bad  
You don't know how bad I got it_

Being somewhat of a celebrity around school didn't make her feel better in the slightest. When the first years crowded around her and commented on her small structure and cute features, it not only made her feel intimidated, but angry. It wasn't often that Chiyo got annoyed, being the placid girl she was, but it was rude! She was a senior! She had tried to explain her problem to her friends, but none had understood. Not even Sakaki, who often shared her thoughts and feelings, could comprehend it.

_You got it easy  
You don't know when you got it good_

Well, when Chiyo thought about it, it was a stupid idea thinking Sakaki would understand; she was the tallest, coolest and most mature-looking girl in the class, and probably the school. She sighed again, she wished that Osaka's theory was possible, that Sakaki had stolen her height and could therefore return it. She often wandered what it would be like to be like the tall girl… a lot easier than being small, cute little Chiyo, that was for sure!

_It's getting harder  
Just keeping life and soul together_

Because it wasn't only the comments and giggles that Chiyo received due to her cuteness; she tended to be a magnet for abuse. Most of this was provided by Yukari and Tomo. She couldn't even remember how many times she had been hit or bullied by those two. They weren't being malicious, they were just playful. Too playful. It wasn't only them that tormented her; even nature seemed to mock her, cackling as it made life difficult. As Kagura had said, she was back-to-back with death every time she went into the school pool.

_I'm sick of fighting  
Even though I know I should_

Despite of everything, Chiyo always told herself that she would "do her best". "Do her best" to get better, "do her best" to grow up quickly, "do her best" to prove to everyone that she wasn't just a cute little kid. But that's all it was. Telling herself. Nothing ever seemed to come out of it, no reward, no progress, nothing. She was still a runt of an eleven year old that was always standing in the others' shadows no matter where she ran. Many times she had felt like giving up, but if she did, she'd never step out of the shadows. Never enjoy the warmth of the sun.

_The cold is biting  
Through each and every nerve and fibre_

She had always felt a certain emptiness somewhere inside of her, but she had never realised what it was. Perhaps it was because she was a genius who knew many things and could score perfect marks on every test, but what could she do with her intelligence? She could share it with others, and get good grades, but what else? She wasn't abstract enough to create anything special or new. Or perhaps it was because she was hiding in the shadows. She was famous in school, but she never really shone. Not like Kagura or Sakaki.

_My broken spirit is frozen to the core  
Don't wanna be here no more_

Heaving one last sigh, Chiyo crawled under the blankets, curling up onto her side. "Goodnight, Tadakichi-san…" she mumbled to her pet dog, who was sound asleep next to her bed. She closed her eyes, and drifted off into another world, where she bloom, and the little bud known as Chiyo would become the most beautiful rose of all.

_Wouldn't it be good to be in your shoes  
Even if it was for just one day  
Wouldn't it be good if we could wish ourselves away  
Wouldn't it be good to be on your side  
The grass is always greener over there  
Wouldn't it be good if we could live without a care_

Sakaki, meanwhile, sat on her bed reading a cat magazine. As usual, she was surrounded by plush toys of all shapes and sizes. It made her feel comforted, being around so many cute things, in plush form or otherwise. She could put all of her attention into looking at the photos in the magazine, and therefore forget about herself. As far as she was concerned, she didn't exist for anything but to marvel at the cuteness. That was only when she was looking at something cute though, which was as often as possible.

_You must be joking  
You don't know a thing about it_

At school, however, she had no chance of doing such thing. So she was stuck with herself. Every time she walked down the corridor, she heard girls squealing about how 'cool' she was because of her height and looks. She hated it. She hated being avoided because of what she looked like. She hated being alone. She hadn't felt so lonely since she had managed to befriend Chiyo and be somewhat part of the group. But even then, she spent quite a lot of time alone due to her shyness, and she hated it.

_You've got no problem  
I'd stay right there if I were you_

But what Sakaki hated the most, what had hurt her the most, was when Chiyo had looked up at her and said "I wish I was taller, just like you". Sakaki felt that Chiyo was perfect the way she was; small, cute, innocent, kind, approachable… If she was tall and daunting like she was… Sakaki shook her head, no, she didn't want that for Chiyo. She felt that no one deserved to have to feel lonely without knowing how to fix it.

_I got it harder  
You couldn't dream how hard I got it_

It wasn't only Chiyo who wished she was like Sakaki; Tomo had many times stated that she wanted to be "American" like she was. It wasn't like she chose to be "American", she didn't, she just ended up like that. Actually, she disliked that part of herself almost as much as she hated her height and imposing air. Kagura also seemed to want to challenge her to just about everything. Sakaki wasn't a competitive person. She didn't care about athletics, either. She didn't know how she ended up being sporty, but it wasn't in her intentions.

_Stay out of my shoes  
If you know what's good for you_

Even thinking of that, Chiyo's yearning seemed much, much worse to Sakaki. Chiyo may have been a prodigy, but she was still a child. She had a fragile nature, and was quick to tears. If everybody started avoiding her out of fear because she was tall and scary, she'd be so upset. Not only that, but it was because of Chiyo's cuteness and charitable ways that allowed Sakaki to escape her loneliness. If Chiyo hadn't been Chiyo, she'd still be seen as the taciturn 'monster' that hated people with a passion, when she certainly wasn't.

_The heat is stifling  
Burning me up from the inside_

A particularly cute picture of a kitten playing with a ball of yarn stopped Sakaki's thoughts immediately. Blood rushed to her cheeks, the prickly heat both endearing and irritating. She never knew why she blushed so much when she saw something overwhelmingly cute; it was quite embarrassing in public, though she never thought of that at the time. Supposedly, she was so obsessive over cute things because she was never cute herself, and was somewhat deprived of adorability.

_The sweat is coming through each and every pore  
Don't wanna be here no more_

Sakaki sighed and placed the magazine on her bedside desk. She slid under the blankets, gently lifting one of her larger plush cats. She held it close to her chest and closed her eyes. Her cheeks were still tinted pink as she began to leave her bedroom, and enter a whole new world. A world where the huge tree known as Sakaki could bare sweet little buds.

_Wouldn't it be good to be in your shoes  
Even if it was for just one day  
Wouldn't it be good if we could wish ourselves away  
Wouldn't it be good to be on your side  
The grass is always greener over there  
Wouldn't it be good if we could live without a care_

What neither of the girls noticed was the group of stars, shining brighter than all of the rest. They were in the shape of a deformed cat that Sakaki always associated with Chiyo's father. They seemed to move, almost making it seem as though the cat was chuckling.

**A/N: **I hope you enjoyed it. The metaphors didn't quite come out as planned, but I can't think of a better way to put them. Sorry.

**Preview Corner**

Tomo: What's this! Chiyo-suke and Sakaki-chan are acting really weird today!Osaka: Everything's all crazy!  
Yomi: Did something happen to them?  
Sakaki: That's not true, right… Ch… Chiyo-chan?  
Chiyo: … Mm…  
Kagura: Next time "Wouldn't it be good", Chapter two: "Miracle"! Look forward to it!


End file.
